Sir, – The beautiful pictures taken by Paul Hughes of the heron eating unfortunate ducklings in Herbert Park, Dublin, are a powerful reminder of nature red in tooth and claw (Front page and Home News, June 21st).
Readers may be interested to know that Mr Heron is not without natural predators. Very early one summer’s morning by the Grand Canal, off Leeson Street last year, I saw a heron waiting for his breakfast by a bank of reeds, when suddenly a cat’s claw swiped at him from the reeds. In terror, wings flapping in desperation; the heron managed to escape to the other side of the canal. The intrepid cat sloped off, no doubt to scout for other opportunities. – Yours, etc,